


Spin Down

by Rubynye



Category: Numb3rs
Genre: D&S, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-11
Updated: 2010-01-11
Packaged: 2017-10-06 03:56:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rubynye/pseuds/Rubynye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>David knows how to shut him down, take care of him, give him peace.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Spin Down

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings/Spoilers: Slash, some het, a little D&amp;S spoilers for Season 5 finale _Angels &amp; Demons_.  
> All Thanks To: [](http://lomedet.livejournal.com/profile)[**lomedet**](http://lomedet.livejournal.com/), and to [](http://ladygray99.livejournal.com/profile)[**ladygray99**](http://ladygray99.livejournal.com/) for the prompt. Written for [](http://community.livejournal.com/rounds_of_kink/profile)[**rounds_of_kink**](http://community.livejournal.com/rounds_of_kink/).

Title: Spin Down  
Fandom: Numb3rs  
Rating: NC-17  
Pairing: David/Charlie; David/Colby and Charlie/Amita mentioned, among others.   
Prompt &amp; Summary: David knows how to shut him down, take care of him, give him peace.  
_Disclaimer:_ None of these characters or their settings belong to me.

When the elevator doors open, David first sees Charlie alone on one side of the floor, wandering a crazy, looping path, pale under his stubble. The few remaining members of the night shift huddle as far away as they can in the cubicles and offices opposite.

David steps out, glancing around, and the next thing he notices is that Charlie's by himself because no one from their team is here. Nikki, Liz, Colby, Don, they must all be at the crash site or the M.E.'s or chasing down leads, getting something done. Technically, this is his night off, but as soon as he heard Amita was abducted he headed in, thinking he might be useful. Now he sees how.

David spreads his empty hands, thinks hard about projecting calm, and says, "Hey." Charlie jumps anyway, and when he turns around his eyes are sunken and hollow. "Hey, Charlie. What are you doing here?"

"Trying to _think_." Charlie clutches his hair like he could shake himself. "Trying to work, trying to come up with routes, switchbacks, anywhere they could've transferred her from the Jeep, any way she isn't..." Charlie stops in place, curling over, rocking so far forward it looks like he'll fall, but when David reaches for his shoulder Charlie bats at him with some force.

"Charlie," David says, gentle and easy like he's talking down a gunman, "you can't get anything done like this. Come on, man, you need some rest."

"Rest? I can't!" Charlie stalks off. David follows carefully, watching out for glass walls, for anything Charlie might throw. "I need to make the math work. I can do it. I have to."

"Not when you're going out of your mind." Charlie stumbles over something, and David reaches out again.

Charlie flinches away, whirling around, his fists clenched and his eyebrows pulling together. "What do _you_ know about math?"

"Only what you've taught me." Keeping his own hands open, palms outward, David eyes Charlie's teetering stance. "But I know what this looks like, watching someone's brain spinning in place, even a genius brain like yours."

Charlie tightens his fists, glaring from slitted eyes, and David seriously expects him to take a swing. But he breathes heavily, and his head drops, his arms drop, his whole body slumps into the nearest chair in an abandoned cube. "I -- " is all Charlie gets out before his voice breaks and he plunges his hands back into his hair, hiding his face between his forearms.

David glances around, but the few people on the floor are far away and actually making themselves busy, not watching him and Charlie. So, setting his hand on Charlie's shoulder, he slides it up to the back of his neck, between fever-damp skin and silky round curls, and says softly, "Come home with me."

Charlie droops under David's hand, the tension draining out of his bowed neck. He takes three deep breaths, each more of a sigh, and on the last exhalation he nods.

 

************

 

"Four hours till any reliable ID, I think," Liz says wearily, the M.E.'s basement-poor reception giving her voice a tinny tone. "I'll call you if I hear earlier, but I'm not betting on it."

"Thanks, Liz," David says, and flips his phone closed as he shepherds Charlie into his apartment. On the drive over, Charlie glassy-eyed and silent beside him except for the occasional hitching breath, David sent up an unspoken prayer for mercy and made a few necessary calls. He felt downright blessed when he reached Don and Colby's voicemails instead of either man, and left brief messages about having pried Charlie out of headquarters to keep an eye on him. Colby will probably read between the lines, and David really hopes Don doesn't, as he steers Charlie into his living room.

Don's probably too busy; everyone is. Part of David wants to be out there too, searching for Amita, but Charlie needs someone to look after him, and David's here and knows how. It's too late to put on music, and besides right now any distractions would probably just rile Charlie up, so David locks his door and follows Charlie's footfalls.

Charlie stops in the middle of the living room, beside the one lamp that's on. "Charlie," David says softly, standing three steps behind him, "Take off your clothes."

Mechanically, Charlie obeys, dropping everything in a little heap. David scoops it onto the couch so they can find things later; as he undresses he glances at Charlie standing there, head bowed, trembling with his arms wrapped around himself. When he's naked and ready, David steps up, setting his hands on Charlie's angular shoulders, stroking the taut warm skin over his shoulderblades, and gently turns him around.

Charlie comes without resistance, his mouth pressed shut, little ridges drawn up tight between his shut eyes. David kisses the spot, Charlie's eyebrows thick and soft under his lips. The lines smooth away, and David asks, "What are you thinking?"

"That I should be getting something done," Charlie mutters, but he doesn't flinch when David leans in slowly and kisses him on the mouth, as lightly as he can.

"You will," David tells him, "once you've cleared your head and gotten a little rest." Charlie's eyelids flicker, though they don't actually lift; David rubs his hands inwards over Charlie's shoulders, watching Charlie's mouth relax out of its tight line. He cups Charlie's neck between his hands, strokes up over his bristly chin and rounded cheeks, up his fine-skinned temples into his hair, and Charlie sighs minutely, his lips parting as his head tips back a tiny half inch.

"Right now," David says, pitching his voice low and soothing, "you need to not think." Charlie opens his eyes at that, rolling them expressively, and David wants to smile. Not yet, though. He winds his fingers carefully in Charlie's curls, gathering two good handfuls against his palms, and puts a growl into his voice as he continues, "Don't think about anything, except the way this feels."

Charlie's eyes start to dilate as his lids droop shut again, his hands falling to his sides, his head heavier in David's hands as if David is holding him up. David takes a deep steadying breath, closing his hands around as much of Charlie's hair as he can, and pulls decisively. Harder than he wants to, hard enough for this.

Charlie's head falls back, his neck arching vulnerably, and his moan hits David in the back of his brain, low in his gut, surging through his blood. Charlie folds, dropping to his knees, not even trying to be careful. Strands snap in David's hands despite his carefulness, and he winces, but Charlie doesn't.

Charlie nuzzles David, scratchy cheek and soft lips brushing along his cock, and David's knees threaten to give already at the first trickles of pleasure. "Go on," he murmurs, huskiness rising in his voice. Charlie parts his lips around another moan, deep and throaty, and David's cock twitches so hard it feels like it's jumping at Charlie's mouth.

David wants to push in, as Charlie drags his open mouth over the head, breath invitingly hot and damp. He wants to clench his fists and pull, so badly he can feel it in his knuckles. He wants to smile at Charlie, kneeling between his feet under the lamplight, face at this angle all wide forehead and bushy brows and huge eyes under bruise-purple lids. But what David does is to loosen his hands in Charlie's hair, letting the left rest easily on his head, disentangling the right to stroke knuckles over his cheek. Smiling won't reassure Charlie the way saying, "use your hands," does; David's breath catches as Charlie's hot damp hands slide up his thighs, one wrapping around his hip, one ringing the base of his cock.

David loses that breath in a sensate rush when Charlie slides his hot soft mouth onto him. He curves his hand to Charlie's cheek, keeping the other relaxed in Charlie's hair as Charlie sucks him. Not easy, when he can feel the tug all over his body, his nerves pulling taut. Charlie sucks hard, bobbing harder, a wet lascivious noise and the faintest tingle of teeth, and David half wants to make sure Charlie doesn't choke and half wants to sink to the floor and just let himself come apart under Charlie's hands and mouth.

Instead, David stands his ground, even when Charlie's moan vibrates through him and Charlie drags that clever flexing tongue up his length, licking hotly around the head. He rests his fingertips on Charlie's jaw, feeling Charlie's cheeks hollow and rebound, forces his hips to still and shakes when Charlie swallows around him. "That's so good," David groans, because he has to, because he can, and Charlie moans in answer, plunges down deeper and swallows around him again, throat fluttering. "You're so good, so gorgeous, so perfect." Stuff he hears himself saying sometimes when his brain's being sucked out his cock, but Charlie doesn't seem to mind.

Charlie moans on each breath, reverberating through his hot mouth into David, through his tongue as he drags its tip along the slit. "Oh, mmm, wait, baby, wait," David gasps, flattening his hand on Charlie's cheek, pushing back just the tiniest bit. Charlie licks him again, slow and tight, setting off a warning pulse deep within him, deep red flickers under his eyelids. He'd really like to, warm and snug here in Charlie's mobile mouth, but he can't come, not yet. "No, no, oh God, wait." David hauls himself back when he wants to thrust forward, dragging his cock out from between Charlie's lips. It throbs in the cool air, arousal streaming in his blood, but he knows what he has to do.

Charlie coughs once and looks up, hands still firm on David's thighs, wide eyes blown, mouth slickly reddened, cheeks rawly flushed. Charlie looks almost helpless like this, young despite the stubble. But he's neither, David knows; they're the same age, they started on the same case, and when he wraps his hands around Charlie's biceps he feels the ropy muscles tense, feels Charlie's fingers dig into his own arms as he pulls Charlie up, as Charlie gets his feet beneath him and lunges for a kiss.

David holds Charlie steady, keeping their mouths from slamming together, kisses Charlie with what he knows is frustrating gentleness as Charlie struggles to get closer. "What're you thinking about?" he murmurs, as Charlie sighs gustily over his mouth.

"How you taste," Charlie answers, voice low and raspy. "I want more." Nostrils flaring, Charlie pushes against David's hold, angling his hips forward, and David has to smile.

Charlie's eyes widen, and he frowns; his gaze turns inwards, his eyes dimming, and alarm flares in David's chest. "Hey--"

"No, I..." Charlie's eyes shut tightly, his head dropping, and David thinks a frantic curse. "What am I..."

David could let Charlie go, give this up, apologize later. Instead, he pulls Charlie in and kisses him too hard, hard enough to crush their mouths together, hard enough to make Charlie moan. David lets Charlie's arms go, wrapping his own around him, and Charlie clutches David's head with both hands, kissing with open-mouthed desperation. David sucks on Charlie's tongue, tasting himself, Charlie's cock a bright stripe of heat against his thigh and his pulsing under the press of their bellies. Charlie shudders and David prickles hot all over, growling as he palms Charlie's pert ass, cupping his arched neck in the other.

Charlie suddenly pushes away, his neck straightening, his hands shoving at David's shoulders. David eases up, but Charlie pulls back from the kiss just far enough to smear his mouth hotly over David's cheek, pressing forward again as abruptly as he'd pushed away. "Please," Charlie mutters over David's skin, face wet against his cheek, "please take me to bed."

Thinking about how much closer the couch is, or the floor, David squeezes Charlie just a little tightly against himself, dizzy with want. This is payback for those teasing kisses, he thinks, and could smile. But not yet, he won't make that mistake again. "That's the plan," he rumbles, feeling Charlie's breath stutter, his ribs and chest when he pulls in a deep breath and sighs warm over David's neck.

When David adds, "C'mon," Charlie nods, cheek brushing cheek, and backs away far enough to meet David's eyes. He's not smiling, but he isn't frowning either; David smooths a hand along the line of his jaw, watching his eyelashes flutter down, then drops it to his wrist and leads him to bed.

David struggles to think for a moment, as he pulls the sheets back, takes Charlie by both shoulders, and gently pushes him down. He settles beside him, sitting back, but Charlie reaches up and catches his wrists, tugging forcefully. Charlie pulls in a shaky breath, his eyes still full of doubt, so David gives and kisses him, easing his yielding lips apart, licking past his teeth and tangling their tongues. Charlie sighs a pleased noise, pushing his head back into the pillow, tilting his chin up, and David wants to keep going just like this, wants to slow it down and keep kissing Charlie until he makes him melt.

Instead, David gently disengages, though Charlie lifts his head to chase him, squeezing his wrists harder, shivering when their mouths part. "Shh," David whispers, "shh, let me just get..."

"Yeah." Charlie lets go, eyes still closed. David reaches for what he needs, but Charlie presses his hand into David's, pushes aside the lube and tugs out the condom, saying "Just this," as he opens his smouldering eyes. David opens his mouth to say _something_, because he's not here to hurt Charlie, but Charlie pulls one side of his mouth up into a little half smile, pained but real.

David nods. "Okay, Charlie, okay." Charlie leans up for another kiss, a firm press of lips, as David shifts himself between his knees, getting ready. He risks a little squirt of lube before dropping the bottle, and Charlie squirms impatiently as David settles himself in his cleft. He feels the laugh in his chest, but keeps it there. Later he can tease Charlie for being pushy. Later, he thinks, pressing in slowly. Charlie's so tensely tight around him he starts to pull back.

But Charlie sighs against David's mouth, easing a little, and when David reaches up to press his palms over Charlie's, covering him with his body, Charlie pushes back steadily and eases some more.

Okay, they can do this. "Ready?" David whispers, and in reply Charlie bites his bottom lip, bright sparking pain as he growls. David's chuckle breaks free, deep and low, and it's not like they'd stop now anyway. Charlie twists his hands up so David's close around his wrists, and David hangs on, feeling Charlie's chest push up against his weight and Charlie's thighs hard and hairy around his waist; he takes a deep steadying breath and pushes in, as slowly as he can, one long smooth slide.

David kisses Charlie again, mostly to distract himself, and because Charlie's mouth moves warmly under his. As the hot friction streams up his spine, simmering his brain, David squeezes Charlie's wrists, forefingers on his racing pulse, and fights to remember the plan. Their bodies slap flush and Charlie gasps, shoving into David's hold, clenching around him, knocking the breath out of him. A little dazed, David pulls back, rocking his hips up to change the angle, and pushes in again slowly, shaking all over with the effort, keeping it slow even when Charlie wraps his legs tighter and tries to pull.

Slow and hot and _there_, Charlie cries out into David's mouth, his pulse spiking, his whole body jerking. David pulls back and brings it faster, and Charlie shouts and struggles and bites him again, pushing his hips up fast enough to slam them together. Shockwaves spreading through him, David groans raggedly, pushing down against Charlie's surge, snapping his hips faster with every hot desperate noise Charlie makes. _Too rough_ a tiny voice insists in the back of his melting mind, _too hard_, but Charlie writhes into his hold, pulling him down, pleading incoherently, and David gives him what demands until Charlie goes abruptly still and shuddering, his groan breaking as he bears down so tightly David sees flashes of white. Charlie comes pulsing against his stomach, fluttering strongly around him, pulling with kiss and legs and body as he pushes up against David. His hold slipping and breaking, David falls onto Charlie, into Charlie, his heartbeat roaring in his ears and Charlie's mouth throbbing against his as he comes.

Heart pounding, brain sloshing, David drifts, floating back down until he can feel his own weight again. Which means Charlie can, so he makes himself move against the lassitude, pulling out gently, flopping onto his back where he lands on something hard. As David fishes out the lube and tosses it across the bed, Charlie sighs a little satisfied noise, his eyes closed and arms still splayed, his forehead smooth under disheveled curls. He looks as lax and easy as David feels, and David chances a smile before Charlie catches him at it.

"I see that," Charlie says, not flickering an eyelid, with a tired and gratifying smile of his own. David figures he's allowed to laugh, so he does, and it feels downright great. Charlie drops his hand backwards on David's chest, brushing knuckles over his heart, and David sets his on it, palm to palm.

They lie there quietly for another minute, the bed softer with every breath, until David pushes himself up while he can still make it. Charlie squints like he's about to open his eyes and get up as well, so David kisses one eyelid, then the other. "Hey," he says softly, "keep on falling asleep."

"I don't think I can not sleep," Charlie mutters, voice slurred. His eyelids are bruised-purple and he's pale now the flush has faded, but he looks okay.

Until his face crumples all at once, and David's chest knots up. Charlie grabs his wrist tightly and David sits very still. It's a very long couple of seconds before Charlie's eyebrows lift again, and when he opens his eyes they're sleepy and clear. "David," he says, voice only a little hoarse, "um, earlier. Did you call me, 'baby'?"

David's chest loosens, and he dares a grin. "Sorry, man."

"_Baby_," Charlie echoes, wounded dignity in his voice and his eyes shining as his lids drop. His fingers relax around David's wrist, and David sits beside him a little while longer, watching his face smooth out into peace.

 

*****************

 

"I dunno, man, a lanyard around your neck?" David suggests unhelpfully, snickering as Colby hunts for his keys. Alan had the team over to dinner to celebrate Amita's safe return, and it was a great evening, sitting beside Colby, watching Charlie and Amita hold hands and smile at everyone. Colby looks up, ready with some smartassed retort, but his eyes widen as he glances over David's shoulder; David turns and blinks at Amita standing there, smiling but businesslike, her arms folded.

"David, can I talk to you for a second?" David nods and follows her outside, not looking at Colby as he shuts the front door.

Amita looks directly at him. The porch light glitters on her engagement ring and in her eyes as she takes one deep breath and says evenly, "Charlie told me you made him get some rest while I was missing. He specified how."

"Yeah," David agrees, his face starting to heat, wondering if he should add a question, or an apology. The barn door's wide open, as they say where Colby's from, but back when Colby was gone the three of them talked a little and did a lot. "I thought it might help."

She looks up into his face for a moment, then smiles brilliantly. "It's pretty much the only reliable method," she says, laughter in her voice, and David relaxes into a smile. "And, I..." She folds her hand around his, warm and long-fingered. "I wanted to thank you for taking care of Charlie, for not letting him be alone."

David's grin stretches his burning cheeks. "You're welcome," he says, pretty sure she can tell he's blushing even before she lightly kisses his cheek. "I'm just glad you're back safely."

Amita squeezes his hand. "So am I." But instead of letting go she steps close again, her lips softly brushing his ear. _Really_ close, heart-poundingly close, her perfume sweet and her breath warm. "Good job," she murmurs, then lets go and heads back inside.

David stays right where he is, closing his eyes, glad it's a cool breezy night. After another moment Colby comes outside, keys in hand and eyebrows up. "She mad?" he asks, and David has to laugh as he pats Colby's shoulder.

"Nah," he says, tucking his hand behind Colby's neck, where the shortest hairs fade to warm skin over muscle. "No more than you were."

Colby nods, shrugging a little, careful not to dislodge David's hand, and they head out together.


End file.
